Friday, 11 December 2009

Gastrectomy

Reading about Ravindra and Meeta Singh, two sisters who've had preventative gastrectomy-stomach removal, felt illuminating and strangely clear headed. They both carry a mutation of the CHD1 gene, raising their chance of the occurrence of stomach cancer to a lifetime risk of about 80%.

I couldn't help but consider that this is the type of reason to remove a stomach, if not for a mind boggling adherence to a certain hypothesis.

It is possible to live without a stomach because it is mainly used for food storage and is not essential for digestion. However, because of the small amounts they can eat, they are expected to lose 20 per cent of their body weight.

The adaptation required is clearly set out.

Ravindra has six meals daily of ten mouthfuls each. However, doctors say that after a year a small 'pouch' will form in place of her stomach allowing her to eat largermeals and regain much of her lost weight.

The difference is stark isn't it? No blame, shame, or aggressive hooey, just facts about how your body functions and what you can expect to happen.

Seeing numerous members of your family die would create an overwhelming desire to relieve yourself of the burden and stress of such an overwhelming chance of having an aggressive form of cancer, no doubt.

In other cases a wearying burden of fear, guilt and shame is substituted for that.